historical fiction writer, amateur photographer, retired computer guru and math geek
Five months ago, the world exhaled a collective groan at the announcement that the COVID-19 virus was officially a pandemic and everyone had to isolate. Stay at home, they said. No bars, no work, no sports, no parties, no nuthin’. Reactions ranged from panic to indignance. I, however, was thrilled. I am a card-carrying, certified … Continue reading My Name is Susannah, and I’m an Introvert
Today I finally managed something I've been trying to do for ages: I imported my photography blog written in the early 20-aughts in "Blogspot." It still doesn't look quite like I want it to, but it's a start. Hope you enjoy the pictures.
Summer is lazy. But then again, so is every day for me: I'm retired! I've always been a voracious reader. The first book I ever read by myself was And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street (or was it Horton Hatches the Egg?) by Dr. Seuss. I think I was four at … Continue reading What I’m Reading
My rating: It’s July 1976. Dana Franklin just woke up in the hospital—minus an arm. She swears her husband, Kevin, had nothing to do with it but the police are skeptical. Clearly Dana and Kevin know exactly what happened and it somehow involves a wall and an explanation no one in his right might would … Continue reading Book Review: “Kindred” by Octavia E. Butler
Not everything in my life revolves around writing, and this past weekend is a prime example. We had guests from Junìn de los Andes in Patagonia, Argentina. They arrived via bicycle. That’s not an unusual occurrence for us—we are hosts for an organization called Warm Showers whose members volunteer to host touring cyclists for a … Continue reading Warm Showers
If you’re a part of the writing community, you’ve probably heard the term “beta reader.” What’s that, you say? Beta readers are part of the writing process. Let’s start from the beginning: When you finish that first rough (and awful!) draft, the rule of thumb is to set it aside for a few weeks, then … Continue reading Beta Me This
I’ve decided I’ve done all I can with Hope. I’m driving myself crazy trying to make it perfect and at this point I’m afraid I may be making things worse instead of better, so after a couple of weeks of self-cajoling I have started querying agents. Tally three weeks in: 10 queries sent, 5 responses … Continue reading Querying
Shannon Baldos wants to divorce her husband, Justin. Now if she could just find the courage to tell him. She’s tried it once: taking her infant son, Chad, and leaving, but Justin tracked them down and bullied her into returning. Classic abuse. Her friend Peg thinks all she needs is a good affair—Justin makes no … Continue reading Book Review: “Breaking the Rules” by Tinthia Clemant
1920 On my thirteenth birthday everything changed. I was up and out early to check my trap lines. The air was full of the sounds and smells of spring: the sweet scent of Ma’s favorite purple lilacs, the sing-song warble of mating orioles. My overalls were soaked to the knees from walking through the hay … Continue reading Teaser: Chapter 1 of “Hope”
It was the title that snared me. Ever since I first heard a loon call across a mountain lake, I’ve loved them. It’s a haunting sort of sound that catches you off guard at first but quickly becomes a welcoming call. And haunting is exactly what “Winter Loon” is. Fifteen-year-old Wes Ballot’s mother swears she … Continue reading Book Review: “Winter Loon” by Susan Bernhard
Susannah Willey Writes 